Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 1786 - 1666: Thinking as a Whole (Part 2)

"It seems someone is using kerosene to burn something; probably the camp is under attack." Cheng Yu is quite adept at arson and murder; just by seeing the black smoke, he knows what’s burning.

"Indeed, the camp is on fire, but the color is so pure, without any mix of blue or gray. What’s burning is likely kerosene and wood. It must be Kongming using flames to fend off attackers." Xu Shu said, dissatisfied, as if he could analyze the smoke more thoroughly and tell what’s burning.

Jia Xu glanced expressionlessly at Xu Shu and Cheng Yu, pondering how much they must have burned in the past to recognize what’s burning just by looking at the smoke.

Meanwhile, Lul Xun, who had been following Jia Xu and Chen Xi, quietly approached Xu Shu from behind, gazing at him with admiration.

"Brother Yuanzhi, why can you tell what’s burning just by looking at the smoke?" Lul Xun asked with admiration.

"Let me tell you, burn more things and you’ll understand. Burning straw produces grayish-white smoke, while burning grain results in blue-white smoke, and the remaining ash is fine. Burning Napalm produces black smoke, and hmm, hmm, tossing a person in produces similar..." Xu Shu said ominously to Lul Xun.

Lul Xun, however, felt no fear; instead, he seemed eager to try it out. Xu Shu pursed his lips, thinking that this guy is hopeless and will likely become an arsonist in the future.

"It seems like the front camp is under attack; the Northern Huns are quite fierce. Though there aren’t many leaders left in the camp, breaking through isn’t easy; perhaps they’re trying to show us a warning." Chen Xi turned to Xun Yu and said.

"They’ve embarrassed us so much; aren’t you planning to retaliate?" Xun Yu said calmly.

"Is there still a distinction between you and us? We’re all Han Army. Besides, our goal isn’t retaliation; our goal is to defeat the enemy. Victory and defeat in war aren’t crucial; I won’t fight for mere pride." Chen Xi shrugged his hands.

"As The Art of War by Sun Tzu states, ’The sovereign must not start a war out of anger, nor should a general engage in battle out of resentment.’ It’s best to prepare and strike when we’re ready. We can’t disregard the lives of our soldiers; each plan carries countless lives and deaths." Chen Xi abruptly shifted to a serious tone.

"Understood." Xun Yu maintained his calm demeanor but appeared solemn.

"Still, the Northern Huns are quite formidable. Even though our camp defenses are well-arranged, they managed to invade. Their strength is worth our consideration." Chen Xi’s playful smile faded as he gazed at the rising black smoke.

"Were it not for this, we wouldn’t move north. Though this is only one reason, the fact it could serve as a reason shows they’ve reached a certain threshold." Xun Yu also gazed at the black smoke in the sky.

"Luckily, we can put aside our internal conflicts. We didn’t need to resolve things internally before facing external threats." Chen Xi smiled, "And if nothing unexpected happens, we can unite fully against external foes."

"Internally, we can employ various methods, but externally, especially against such blood feuds, no one would act irrationally." Xun Yu said calmly, "None of us would degrade ourselves to endanger our own family roots by inviting external forces."

"Grudges vary in degrees. We fight fiercely among ourselves, but in the end, it’s just about conquering wills. To be honest, if you lose, so long as you don’t seek death, we won’t pursue you aggressively." Chen Xi said to Xun Yu.

In this era, the divide between Hua and Yi is quite clear. You can use foreign clans, or bring them to kill your domestic enemies, but you need the ability to control them. Without that ability and still attempting it, prepare to be nailed to the pillar of shame.

"..." Xun Yu didn’t respond, leaving Chen Xi somewhat frustrated. This guy refuses to budge, causing a headache.

"Actually, we can discard mutual conflicts. For instance, with the combined strength of the three factions now, can you feel how powerful it is? Dozens with Inner Qi Manifestation, various Legion and Spiritual Talents, countless civil and military officials checking and filling gaps; no era in nearly three hundred years surpasses ours right now!" Chen Xi quietly declared.

Despite his silence, even Xun Yu had to acknowledge, for nearly three hundred years, no era was stronger than this one, not only with officials but also in population and foundation.

Even from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors until now, Xun Yu is confident that, with their tri-partite unity, they could defeat all previous eras.

Sages and Saints of Spring and Autumn and Warring States, Qin Emperor unifying the states, Former Han founding a nation, Martial Emperor expanding territories; compared to this era, none are enough.

Current population alone of 44 million, produce per mu nearly five shi of grain signifies immense warfare potential, enough to overshadow any prior era. Moreover, continuously awakening and strengthening civil and military officials are poised to crush any past era.

"Our era should not be consumed by infighting; instead, unite the power of the Seven Warring States into one, led by generals like Bai Qi, Wang Jian, Wu Qi, Sunx Bin, Le Yi, Tian Ji, Liann Po, Zhao Shee. How mighty is that! Even the might of Qin unifying states couldn’t counter it, and our current era is similar!" Chen Xi stared intently at Xun Yu.

Chen Xi isn’t driven by obsession for collection, but just imagining the power of the Five Hegemons of Spring and Autumn unified under one banner, with integrated economic and military might expanding territories, how insignificant are the Quanrong and Eastern Hu?

Similarly, the Seven Warring States, with their heroic generals and capable ministers unified, Eastern Hu, Huns, and Qiang People wouldn’t dare invade.

This era, with the united force of three factions, hoisting the flag of the Han Dynasty, expanding territories is effortless; relinquishing the Central Plains and rebuilding glory is no difficult task!

"By splitting in two, our overall strength dropped by at least half; Lord Xuande lacks supplies, while Lord Cao, despite having fertile lands, the Yongliang he occupies can support a military of twenty thousand at its limit; any more, and it risks reckless warfare. Yongliang is more suited for horse breeding, especially Liangzhou." Chen Xi said to Xun Yu.

"Perhaps you never considered how a nation is controlled, but I have pondered it, thinking about where to cultivate the most suitable crops, where to sustain optimal resources, where best to rear horses, and where best to plant special crops." At this moment, Chen Xi was utterly calm, "I consider the nation as a whole."

"Hence, bit by bit, I laid paths for the entire nation, connecting every part, invigorating the economy; allowing regions to depend on others more easily, letting each region do what suits them best." Chen Xi looked at Xun Yu full of pride.

Of course, Chen Xi’s approach doesn’t strip regions of economic independence; rather, it adds a higher level of control, maintaining their independence. However, if not integrated into the Empire’s economic system, they can’t freely access better resources from other regions; only using what’s produced within their economic systems.

This is the essence of national regulation: protecting each region while simultaneously connecting them into a whole, significantly stabilizing their situations.

To achieve this, Liu Bei must unify the entire nation and then conduct multifaceted research, building the required systems batch by batch.

From this perspective, the virtue of Emperor System lies in its powerful execution, with no need for excuses; construction proceeds batch by batch. Even if money is wasted, as long as there’s control over the Empire, another attempt can be made. Anyone who defies will be dealt with swiftly!

Only with such execution power does Chen Xi dare to undertake economic reforms. Without this authoritarianism, even ten Chen Xi’s would meet failure!